Can residents work together to improve the quality of life in their community? Asset Building and Community Development examines the promise and limits of community development and explores how communities are building on their key assets such as physical, human, social, financial, environmental, political and cultural capital.

Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgments Chapter 1: The Role of Assets in Community-Based Development Whither Community? Growth Versus Development People Versus Place The Challenge of Regionalism Asset Building Public Participation The Role of Community-Based Organizations Models of Community Development Self-Help Technical Assistance Conflict Summary and Conclusions Chapter 2: A History of Community Development in America The Evolution of Community Development The Progressive Era The New Deal Urban Renewal and Area Redevelopment The War on Poverty Retrenchment during the Nixon and Reagan Administrations The Clinton Years The Bush Administration Recurring Issues in Community Development Participation Race Gender Summary and Conclusions Chapter 3: The Community Development Process Public Participation Community Organizing Community Visioning The Roots of Visioning: Context and History Comprehensive-Rational Planning Advocacy Planning Strategic Planning Charrettes Visioning Timing and Momentum Workshops Goals and Strategy Development Action Plan Development Monitor, Evaluate, Revise Community-Based Research Summary and Conclusions Chapter 4: The Role of Community-Based Organizations Community Development Corporations Three Generations of CDCs Debates Over CDCs Local Development Corporations Organizational Structure of LDCs LDC Activities Outcomes and Impacts of LDC Activities Neighborhood Associations Community Youth Organizations Faith-Based Organizations Summary and Conclusions Chapter 5: Human Capital and Workforce Development Workforce Development Issues Key Concepts and Debates CBOs and Workforce Development Context for Workforce Development Key Actors and Institutions Data on Local Labor Markets Developing Goals and Strategies Preparing the Future Workforce Sustaining the Workforce Upgrading the Workforce Expanding the Workforce Promoting Entrepreneurship Summary and Conclusions Chapter 6: Social Capital: Building Trust, Norms and Networks Social Capital Definition and Issues Key Concepts and Debates CBOs and Social Capital Social Capital and Local Economic Development Assessing Social Capital Summary and Conclusions Chapter 7: Physical Capital: The Role of Housing in Community Development Housing Issues The Problem Key Concepts and Debates The Debate over Affordable Housing The Federal Government Role in Housing The Role of CBOs in Housing Provision Models of Community-Based Housing Provision The Impact of CBOs Summary and Conclusions Chapter 8: Financial Capital: Community Credit Institutions Financial Capital Issues Key Concepts and Debates Community Credit Institutions Context for Community Credit Institutions Key Actors and Institutions Community Economic Development Finance Assessing Local Credit Markets Strategies for Building Local Credit Markets Build CDFIs Pressure Local Credit Institutions to Serve Community Use Informal Credit Markets Identify External Sources of Credit Summary and Conclusions Chapter 9: Environmental Capital: Controlling Land Development Forms of Environmental Capital Aesthetic Qualities/Scenic Resources Agricultural Land Resources Geographic Setting and Soils Human Health/Environmental Hazards Plant Communities Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Surface Water Resources/Water Supply Groundwater/Water Supply Land Use and Environmental Capital Smart Growth and New Urbanism Brownfields The Roles of Government and the Market The Government The Market Community-Based Organizations What Is a Community Land Trust? What Do Land Trusts Do? Why Do People Choose to Use Land Trusts? Do Land Trusts Work? Summary and Conclusions Chapter 10: Political Capital: Organizing for Power Key Concepts and Debates Methods Community-Based Organizations and Political Capital Power Models Information Models Summary and Conclusions Chapter 11: Cultural Capital Cultural Capital Definition and Issues Key Concepts and Debates Culture and Place Government and CBOs in Cultural Capital Summary and Conclusions Chapter 12: Community Sustainability What Is Community Sustainability? The History of Sustainability Measuring Sustainability Using Indicators CBOs and Sustainability Summary and Conclusions Chapter 13: The Role of Community-Based Organizations in International Development Context for International Development Urbanization Poverty The Environment The Informal Sector Decentralization Globalization Concepts, Theories, and Debates The Aid Community: A Brief History Organizations Involved in International Development Nongovernment Organizations: Their Role at the Community Level NGO-Aid Relations NGO-Government Relations Models of NGOs What Do NGOs Do? Impact of NGOs Summary and Conclusions Chapter 14: The Future of Community Development Limits to Community-Based Development Local Versus External Initiation of Community Development An Agenda for Promoting Community Development in America Build on Successes Create Spaces for Public Participation Provide Training for CBOs Form Regional CBO Consortiums/Networks Use Meaningful Public Participation Improve Diversity in Decision Making Summary and Conclusions Index About the Authors Use Meaningful Public Participation Improve Diversity in Decision-Making Conclusions About the Authors

Author Biography

Anna L. Haines is an associate professor in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and a land use and community development specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Haines received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Her research and teaching focuses on planning and community development from a natural resources perspective. She recently completed an USDA project focused on the factors that influenced land division in amenity-rich areas of Wisconsin. Her extension work has focused on comprehensive planning and planning implementation tools and techniques, sustainable communities, and property rights issues. She is currently serving as co-chair of the North Central Region Task Force for Sustainable Communities. Gary Paul Green is a professor in the Department of Community & Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a community development specialist in the Center for Community & Economic Development at the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Green's teaching and research interests are primarily in the areas of community and economic development. In addition to his work in the U.S., he has been involved in community and economic development research and teaching in China, New Zealand, South Korea, Uganda, and Ukraine.